〃You think moving has upset Danny that badly？〃 Wendy asked。
〃It may have； if the move took place under traumatic circumstances；〃 Edmonds
said。 〃Did it？〃
Wendy and Jack exchanged a glance。
〃I was teaching at a prep school；〃 Jack said slowly。 〃I lost my job。〃
〃I see；〃 Edmonds said。 He put the pen he bad been playing with firmly back in
its holder。 〃There's more here； I'm afraid。 It may be painful to you。 Your son
seems to believe you two have seriously contemplated divorce。 He spoke of it in
an offhand way； but only because he believes you are no longer considering it。〃
Jack's mouth dropped open； and Wendy recoiled as if slapped。 The blood drained
from her face。
〃We never even discussed it！〃 she said。 〃Not in front of him； not even in
front of each other！ We — 〃
〃I think it's best if you understand everything； Doctor；〃 Jack said。 〃Shortly
after Danny was born； I became an alcoholic。 I'd had a drinking problem all the
way through college； it subsided a little after Wendy and I met； cropped up
worse than ever after Danny was born and the writing I consider to be my real
work was going badly。 When Danny was three and a half； he spilled some beer on a
bunch of papers I was working on 。。。 papers I was shuffling around； anyway 。。。
and I 。。。 well 。。。 oh shit。〃 His voice broke； but his eyes remained dry
and unflinching。 〃It sounds so goddam beastly said out loud。 I broke his arm
turning him around to spank him。 Three months later I gave up drinking。 I
haven't touched it since。〃
〃I see；〃 Edmonds said neutrally。 〃I knew the arm had been broken； of course。
It was set well。〃 He pushed back from his desk a little and crossed his legs。
〃If I may be frank； it's obvious that he's been in no way abused since then。
Other than the stings； there's nothing on him but the normal bruises and scabs
that any kid has in abundance。〃
〃Of course not；〃 Wendy said hotly。 〃Jack didn't mean— 〃
〃No； Wendy；〃 Jack said。 〃I meant to do it。 I guess someplace inside I really
did mean to do that to him。 Or something even worse。〃 He looked back at Edmonds
again。 〃You know something； Doctor？ This is the first time the word divorce has
been mentioned between us。 And alcoholism。 And child…beating。 Three firsts in
five minutes。〃
〃That may be at the root of the problem；〃 Edmonds said。 〃I am not a
psychiatrist。 If you want Danny to see a child psychiatrist； I can remend a
good one who works out of the Mission Ridge Medical Center in Boulder。 But I am
fairly confident of my diagnosis。 Danny is an intelligent； imaginative；
perceptive boy。 I don't believe he would have been as upset by your marital
problems as you believed。 Small children are great accepters。 They don't
understand shame； or the need to hide things。〃
Jack was studying his hands。 Wendy took one of them and squeezed it。
〃But he sensed the things that were wrong。 Chief among them from his point of
view was not the broken arm but the broken — or breaking — link between you two。
He mentioned divorce to me； but not the broken arm。 When my nurse mentioned the
set to him； he simply shrugged if off。 It was no pressure thing。 ‘It happened a
long time ago' is what I think he said。〃
〃That kid；〃 Jack muttered。 His jaws were clamped together； the muscles in the
cheeks standing out。 〃We don't deserve him。〃
〃You have him； all the same；〃 Edmonds said dryly。 〃At any rate； he retires
into a fantasy world from time to time。 Nothing unusual about that； lots of kids
do。 As I recall； I had my own invisible friend when I was Danny's age； a talking
rooster named Chug…Chug。 Of course no one could see Chug…Chug but me。 I had two
older brothers who often left me behind； and in such a situation Chug…Chug came
in mighty handy。 And of course you two must understand why Danny's invisible
friend is named Tony instead of Mike or Hal or Dutch。〃
〃Yes；〃 Wendy said。
〃Have you ever pointed it out to him？〃
〃No；〃 Jack said。 〃Should we？〃
〃Why bother？ Let him realize it in his own time； by his own logic。 You see；
Danny's fantasies were considerably deeper than those that grow around the
ordinary invisible friend syndrome； but he felt he needed Tony that much more。
Tony would e and show him pleasant things。 Sometimes amazing things。 Always
good things。 Once Tony showed him where Daddy's lost trunk was 。。。 under the
stairs。 Another time Tony showed him that Mommy and Daddy were going to take him
to an amusement park for his birthday — 〃
〃At Great Barrington！〃 Wendy cried。 〃But how could he know those things？ It's
eerie； the things he es out with sometimes。 Almost as if — 〃
〃He had second sight？〃 Edmonds asked； smiling。
〃He was born with a caul；〃 Wendy said weakly。
Edmonds's smile became a good； hearty laugh。 Jack and Wendy exchanged a glance
and then also smiled； both of them amazed at how easy it was。 Danny's occasional
〃lucky guesses〃 about things was something else they had not discussed much。
〃Next you'll be telling me he can levitate；〃 Edmonds said； still smiling。 〃No；
no； no； I'm afraid not。 It's not extrasensory but good old human perception；
which in Danny's case is unusually keen。 Mr。 Torrance； he knew your trunk was
under the stairs because you had looked everywhere else。 Process of elimination；
what？ It's so simple Ellery Queen would laugh at it。 Sooner or later you would
have thought of it yourself。
〃As for the amusement park at Great Barrington； whose idea was that
originally？ Yours or his？〃
〃His； of course；〃 Wendy said。 〃They advertised on all the morning children's
programs。 He was wild to go。 But the thing is； Doctor； we couldn't afford to
take him。 And we had told him so。〃
〃Then a men's magazine I'd sold a story to back in 1971 sent a check for fifty
dollars；〃 Jack said。 〃They were reprinting the story in an annual； or something。
So we decided to spend it on Danny。〃
Edmonds shrugged。 〃Wish fulfillment plus a lucky coincidence。〃
〃Goddammit； I bet that's just right；〃 Jack said。
Edmonds smiled a little。 〃And Danny himself told me that Tony often showed him
things that never occurred。 Visions based on faulty perception； that's all。
Danny is doing subconsciously what these so…called mystics and mind readers do
quite consciously and cynically。 I admire him for it。 If life doesn't cause him
to retract his antennae； I think he'll be quite a man。〃
Wendy nodded — of course she thought Danny would be quite a man — but the
doctor's explanation struck her as glib。 It tasted more like margarine than
butter。 Edmonds had not lived with them。 He had not been there when Danny found
lost buttons； told her that maybe the TV Guide was under the bed； that he
thought he better wear his rubbers to nursery school even though the sun was out
。。。 and later that day they had walked home under her umbrella through the
pouring rain。 Edmonds couldn't know of the curious way Danny had of preguessing
them both。 She would decide to have an unusual evening cup of tea； go out in the
kitchen and find her cup out with a tea bag in it。 She would remember that the
books were due at the library and find them all neatly piled up on the hall
table； her library card on top。 Or Jack would take it into his head to wax the
Volkswagen and find Danny already out there； listening to tinny top…forty music
on his crystal radio as he sat on the curb to watch。
Aloud she said； 〃Then why the nightmares now？ Why did Tony tell him to lock
the bathroom door？〃
〃I believe it's because Tony has outlived his usefulness；〃 Edmonds said。 〃He
was born — Tony； not Danny — at a time when you and your husband were straining to
keep your marriage together。 Your husband was drinking too much。 There was the
incident of the broken arm。 The ominous quiet between you。〃
Ominous quiet； yes； that phrase was the real thing； anyway。 The stiff； tense
meals where the only conversation had been please pass the butter or Danny； eat
the rest of your carrots or may I be excused； please。 The nights when Jack was
gone and she had lain down； dry…eyed； on the couch while Danny watched TV。 The
mornings when she and Jack had stalked around each other like two angry cats
with a quivering； frightened mouse between them。 It all rang true；
（dear God； do old scars ever stop hurting？）
horribly； horribly true。
Edmonds resumed； 〃But things have changed。 You know； schizoid behavior is a
pretty mon thing in children。 It's accepted； because all we adults have this
unspoken agreement that children are lunatics。 They have invisible friends。 They
may go and sit in the closet when they're depressed； withdrawing from the world。
They attach talismanic importance to a special blanket； or a teddy bear； or a
stuffed tiger。 They suck their thumbs。 When an adult sees things that aren't
there； we consider him ready for the rubber room。 When a child says he's seen a
troll in his bedroom or a vampire outside the window； we simply smile
indulgently。 We have a one…sentence explanation that explains the whole range of
such phenomena in children — 〃
〃He'll grow out of it；〃 Jack said。
Edmonds blinked。 〃My very words；〃 he said。 〃Yes。 Now I would guess that Danny
was in a pretty good position to develop a full…fledged psychosis。 Unhappy home
life； a big imagination； the invisible friend who was so real to him that he
nearly became real to you。 Instead of ‘growing out of' his childhood
schizophrenia； he might well have grown into it。〃
〃And bee autistic？〃 Wendy asked。 She had read about autism。 The word itself
frightened her； it sounded like dread and white silence。
〃Possible but not necessarily。 He might simply have entered Tony's world
someday and never e back to what he calls ‘real things。' 〃
〃God；〃 Jack said。
〃But now the basic situation has changed drastically。 Mr。 Torrance no longer
drinks。 You are in a new place where conditions have forced the three of you
into a tighter family unit than ever before — certainly tighter than my own；
where my wife and kids may see me for only two or three hours a day。 To my mind；
he is in the perfect healing situation。 And